Thursday 30th January 2009

The Wednesday night Irish session is once again following a nomadic existence, having been made homeless by the closure of yet another pub. Three of the pubs that have hosted the session have closed. I hope that's a coincidence. Anyway, feeling a bit like the Israelites, the sessioneers roam around East Kent looking for a suitable place to pitch up and settle. The George at Molash has been very accommodating for the past 2 weeks. Unfortunately, it is designed more for drinking and eating than musicians, so the acoustics are not the best. Nonetheless, we are very grateful for somewhere to play. Next week, we are trying the Chequer Inn at Ash who seem keen on giving us a try. I never like that phrase. 'Keen on giving us a try' usually means - free music, boosts the punters. I mean there must be a bit of quid pro quo in situations like that and maybe there will be.

The session at the Simple Parrot on the first Sunday is still going but is under threat from lack of audience. The Yew Tree at Barfrestone is interested in a Sunday session and I think a few more possibilities are in the offing.

But on the what-would-be-lumpy-English-if-it-weren't-for-the-porridge-scene, it goes from strength to strength. Last Thursday had a Burn's Supper complete with Ernie dressed as a Scot giving the address and stabbing the Haggis. A very nice plate of neaps, tatties and haggis followed and some acceptable Scottish tunes were played. Richard sang some Scots songs and everybody was happy. For those who don't know, Burns fathered 14 illegitimate children and died at 38 from a heart attack.

And he wrote poetry. I guess writing poetry is a hazardous occupation.

I am very pleased to see so many players but it is hard to play sometimes. As the number of instruments increases, so the sound sort of smears into a less lumpy consistency. I think the beat gets lost. Andy calls it porridge. Porridge may still be too lumpy as a descriptor.

I have noticed that the promise of free food does tend to bring out sessioneers who we haven't seen for a while. Must be a coincidence, surely.

As it is always different every week in the Bear, I wonder what tonight will bring?

Tuesday 6th January 2009

A happy new year to all my readers, and compliments of the season. Today is 12th night, Epiphany, the Old Christmas Day (before the calendars changed). A day for Wassailing. Next Monday will see many of the Plough Monday traditions that are still going.

With Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve falling on Wednesday last year, the session opportunities were a bit thin over the holiday period so we were all suffering Session Withdrawal Symptoms (SWS) and it was with eager anticipation therefore like a junky looking forward to a fix that we awaited New Year's Day.

Unfortunately, the expected session on New Year's day was cancelled because the landlord of the Bear wanted a night off and closed the pub. (Everybody: Ahhhhh!)

So instead we were invited to the Ship at Conyer (Everybody: Hooray!) where some of the Bear players live and it was a jolly good evening, packed out with Bear players and audience and a couple of faces not previously seen. The pub was welcoming and apart from it being bit back-of-beyond-ish it was a very good place for a session. We've been to much more out of the way places. Try finding the Compasses at Crundale. There is a session starting at the Ship on the third Tuesday of the month for beginners / intermediates. All are welcome in the spirit of teaching and encouraging people new to the music to develop and grow in confidence.
The locals did alarm us by telling us that the favourite ring tone for mobile phones out there is Duelling Banjos from Deliverance. I mean Mobile Phone reception in Conyer?

That reminds me that when I got my recent mobile phone bill, I had a roaming charge from France. After the initial outrage at O2 getting it wrong, I realised that in fact it was when I had lunch at the Coastguard at St Margaret at Cliffe and had indeed made a phone call. I had not expected reception right down at the base of the cliff but was delighted to find that the phone did actually have a signal. How it managed to pick up a roaming signal from France 20 miles away I do not know. But it did. And it's expensive.

The sad news is that the Irish session at The Spoonerism on Wednesdays may be on its last legs. Not because of a lack of interest, but because the Anchor is closing. Wednesday 7th January will be the last session there. Whether we will be able to find a place as accommodating as the Anchor was, remains to be seen. This is the third pub in 10 years that has hosted the Irish session and closed. I'm sure it's coincidence.

On a brighter note, the two sessions that we have had so far at the Simple Parrot in Canterbury have been enjoyable and may herald a new era of Sunday sessions rather than Wednesday sessions. The Yew Tree at Barfrestone is interested and we have the Chequers at Challock as well for as long as Max doesn't retire.

Tomorrow night will see a big pow-wow amongst the sessioneers to decide on the future of the Irish Session. After all the effort that people have put into it to keep it going this long, I hope that it manages to survive. Thursday will see some of us back to the Bear as normal (as normal as it ever gets!) for some lovely mixed lumpy.